]]>We are pleased to announce the six-book shortlist for the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award for 2016/17. The judges’ selection of the most exceptional thrillers are arranged alphabetically by author’s surname below.

Megan Abbott – You Will Know Me (Picador – 27 July 2016)

Social and parental ambition becomes deadly in this tense title about obsession, jealousy and the quest for perfection in the compelling setting of a small town high school gymnastics team. Abbott’s writing is completely believable, expertly twisting expectations to deliver an engrossing psycho-drama of a thriller.

J S Carol – The Killing Game (Bookouture – 11 October 2016)

Cunningly structured Hollywood hostage drama that boldly explores how the spheres of showbiz and terrorism overlap in their hunger for fame and news coverage. Carol’s world is peopled with troublingly realistic characters and disturbs in its portrayal of moral ambiguity. The cinematic pace never slows; totally absorbing.

Jules Grant – We Go Around in the Night and are Consumed by Fire (Myriad Editions – 1 October 2017)

An unflinching, hard hitting and at times startlingly tender gangster novel set in Manchester. Powerfully written and convincingly representing its women characters, with flawless attention to the narrative voice of the two leads. A fascinating and refreshingly original gangster story, brimming with energy.

John Hart – Redemption Road (Hodder & Stoughton – 3 May 2016)

Hart builds a convincing and complex picture of an American community in crisis, pulsing with atmosphere and throbbing tension. Offbeat and uncomfortable in its reflection of society and urgent but insightful in its dealings with contemporary race relations, this is a truly modern thriller steeped in suspense.

Mick Herron – Spook Street (John Murray – 9 February 2017)

The most vividly written spy fiction since Le Carré, written in a distinctive and idiosyncratic style blending bitter comedy with moments of chilling unease. Pleasingly unique, with intelligently drawn characters plunged into a world where the mythical past of spycraft meets bleak, blunt reality.

William Ryan – The Constant Soldier – (Mantle – 25/8/2016)

Lyrical and yet gripping writing exploring guilt, fear, identity and how people act in time of war. Evocative period detail with a range of superbly etched characters full of depth, heart and honesty. Ryan’s story is beautifully written and achieves an impressive thoughtfulness in the midst of a necessarily harrowing WW2 narrative.

The winning entry will be announced in October 2017

To read more about the rest of the daggers, click here to visit the CWA website.

This Father’s Day we’re hosting a competition with our publishing partners Titan. Fill in the blank captions on The Express comic panels above with fun and creative descriptions and dialogue, to be in with a chance of winning some top prizes. Upload your creation to social media (details below) before 18th June. The competition is open worldwide!

Either download the panels from social media and fill-in the blanks or write out the script as words. Then post the filled in panels or the script on our social media channels. The square box is a scene-setting caption and the speech bubbles are for dialogue.

Post your creation on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and don’t forget to tag us so we see your entry. Twitter: @TheIanFleming; Facebook: @ianflemingbooks; Instagram: @IanFlemings007. We will consider entries to any of these platforms, so please do upload it to as many as you like. We will notify you once we receive your entry so if you don’t hear from us please post it again.

Entries will be judged on humour and imagination.

These comic strips first appeared in The Express newspaper in the 1950s as a daily three-panelled strip by John McLusky and were the first time Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels were adapted into visual storytelling for the masses. Titan have recently re-mastered the comic strips and have released them in new large format collections, SPECTRE, DR NO and GOLDFINGER.

The closing date for entries is Sunday 18th June 2017. Please review the terms and conditions carefully before entering the competition and good luck!

]]>The recently published diaries of Maud Russell shed interesting light on Ian Fleming’s War years. Josephine Lane examines the diaries and discovers some fascinating details about this intimate and significant relationship.

On the 8th February 1944, Maud Russell wrote in her diary,

‘Yesterday I. came to dinner, looking well and busy with a dream, the dream being a house and 10 acres on a mountain slope in Jamaica after the war.’

‘I.’ was none other than Ian Fleming, who went on to realise this exotic dream in 1947 by buying an old donkey racetrack in Jamaica where he built Goldeneye, the home which sheltered him from the bitter British winter and where he wrote his James Bond novels every year from 1952 until his death in 1964. Russell’s recently published war diaries reveal that it was her gift of £5,000 that enabled Fleming to build this creative sanctuary which nurtured the rise of his fictional hero. But who was Fleming’s generous benefactor and what significance does their relationship with each other hold?

Born in 1891 to German Jewish parents who had settled in London in the 1880s, Maud Russell was a society hostess and one of the foremost French art collectors of her time. She married Gilbert Russell, a stockbroker and cousin of the Duke of Bedford, during the First World War and they lived between the beautiful Mottisfont Abbey in Hampshire and their house in Cavendish Square in London. Gilbert introduced Maud to many politicians and members of the aristocracy while her interest in the arts encouraged a host of artists, writers, society figures and musicians into their social circle. Amongst them was Ian Fleming who Maud described as having the ‘handsome looks of a fallen angel.’ Although Maud was quite a few years older than Ian, their relationship blossomed from casual acquaintances to intimate friends and likely lovers.

A Constant Heart: The War Diaries of Maud Russell 1938-1945 is skilfully and affectionately edited by Maud’s granddaughter Emily Russell and reveals an intimate portrait of an intelligent and independent-minded woman who was surrounded by influential people of the day. The book is bursting with references to key figures of the time, such as this auspicious entry about a new acquaintance she met when dining with Lord Louis Mountbatten in 1942, ‘At lunch there was his nephew Prince Philip of Greece, a nice looking man, who speaks perfect English and is in the Navy. It struck me afterwards that he would do for Princess Elizabeth.’

Maud’s passion for art led her to be acquainted with several exceptional artists of the day and the diaries record lunches with Matisse, for whom she sat in the 1930s, members of the Bloomsbury Group and the photographer Cecil Beaton. She was also close friends with the artist Boris Anrep who specialised in the art of mosaic and whose work can be seen in the foyer of the National Gallery; a project funded by Maud. Undoubtedly her most important artistic relationship during this period was with Rex Whistler whom Maud commissioned to undertake a stunning and vast trompe l’oeil in what is now known as the Whistler Room at Mottisfont Abbey.

As well as documenting meetings with interesting figures from the 1940s, the diaries open a captivating window into a very unique perspective of life during the Second World War. They are a stark reminder of the great uncertainty and the daily anxiety faced when victory against the Axis powers was by no means guaranteed and international freedom was at grave risk. ‘I was in a rage all day and mad to think we have so miscalculated the German forces as to be in danger of losing Egypt… I roared myself hoarse.’

But few fights were more personal than Maud’s own endeavour to help her Jewish relatives living in Germany. On the 9th–10th November 1938 there was an atrocious, nationwide attack on the Jews in Germany, which came to be known as Kristallnacht – the Night of Broken Glass. Approximately 1,000 synagogues were burned, 7,000 Jewish businesses were destroyed, 91 Jews were murdered and tens of thousands more were arrested and interned in concentration camps. The situation was critical and Maud not only campaigned for visas for her relatives but actually flew to Cologne in December, risking her own safety to help her family. ‘I had arrived on the day when all Jews in Germany were ordered to stay indoors between 8am and 8pm so I wondered whether my appearance might arouse comment, but it didn’t.’ The courage and fearlessness of such actions inspire limitless admiration.

‘I think these months are enormously significant and interesting but I wish I was living on another planet.’

The diaries also bear witness to the death of Maud’s beloved husband Gilbert, who died of asthma in 1942. These passages are incredibly moving, as Maud unravels her grief and processes her loss; ‘The main, the fullest, the richest and the most feeling part of life ended with him. I gave him all the tenderness I possessed. There was little over.’

Reading through the diaries it becomes clear how vital her relationship with Ian Fleming was, particularly during this difficult time, ‘His solid friendship helped me these days. He understood how I felt about G. I think he was very distressed about Gilbert himself.’ Indeed, it is likely that Gilbert Russell engineered Fleming’s role in Naval Intelligence during the War and in turn Ian helped Maud to obtain a post in the Admiralty after Gilbert’s death in her bid to forge a new life.

‘He loves his NID work better than anything he has ever done, I think, except skiing.’

The diaries reveal an intimate closeness and fond affection between Ian and Maud, who meet at least once a week throughout the war. An outcome of this is the extraordinary insight the diaries provide into Fleming’s wartime activities. Amongst other things she notes that Fleming broadcasts directly to the Germans, tours the coastal defences, witnesses the Dieppe raid from a destroyer and visits Spain and Portugal to discuss intelligence matters with Roosevelt’s special envoy. A particularly shocking anecdote is recorded in November 1941, ‘He has been on some dangerous job again. He cannot ever tell me what they are. A house in which he was dining was blown from under him. He and his friends were left marooned on the third floor, the staircase and most of the floors below were blown away. Eventually there was a tap at the window, a fireman’s head appeared and they left the house by the fireman’s ladder. The story was told as if there hadn’t been any danger.’

‘We discussed how either would know if the other was killed. Not knowing at once gives an empty blank feeling.’

There are hints throughout the diaries that Ian and Maud’s relationship was more intimate than mere friendship. Maud provided Ian with his identification tag during the War (which he stipulated be made of gun-metal) and Emily Russell reveals that she found an envelope labelled ‘I.’s’ containing a lock of black hair, amongst her grandmother’s possessions. However, most telling of all is this touching and raw recollection, ‘He talked about marrying me, I had qualities he wants to find. I said, ‘No, ages makes it impossible.’ He said, ‘If I was five years older.’ ‘No,’ I said, ‘If you were at least 10 years older.’ For he is sixteen and a half years younger than me. If he were 10 years older I would marry him, but it’s no use a woman of 52 trying to keep pace with a man of 36. After a few years he might fall in love and want me to release him. I should do it and be alone again after much pain and drama, a good deal older, and in still greater need of compassion. He is very good to me.’

A Constant Heart is a fascinating book, documenting a period of great international importance from a very personal perspective. Maud Russell’s concise and witty records set within an awe-inspiring social circle are a joy to read and her relationship with Ian Fleming is both moving and surprising. Little was known about Maud’s role in Ian’s life before the publication of these diaries and it is a pleasure to encounter Fleming from her perspective as a kind and thoughtful friend. And perhaps her influence runs deeper still. Without her generous gift of £5,000 who knows whether Fleming would have had the peace, quiet and solitude to dedicate himself to devising the deeds of agent 007. But when one learns that he addressed his correspondence to her as ‘Dear M.,’ perhaps it could be argued that her impact was even more fundamental to the literary lore of James Bond.

]]>From writer Kieron Gillen and artist Antonio Fuso comes Service, a James Bond standalone oversized comic, in which Bond’s skills are required on home soil to prevent an assassination which could rupture British-US relations irrevocably.

To celebrate the launch of the comic, the London branch of the comics and pop culture megastore Forbidden Planet will be hosting Gillen for a signing event on Wednesday 24th May, from 6.00pm-7.00pm. For full details and to pre-order copies of the comic for signing click here to be taken to the Forbidden Planet event page.

In Service the new US Secretary of State, boisterous isolationist Alexander Thomas, is due for a visit to London which will include an address from within the Imperial War Museum. Amidst the antique weaponry and relics of bygone wars he will speak on the fragility of the Special Relationship, and his perceived obsolescence of the service provided by the UK to the US in the modern era. Despite the affront, the Secret Service musters extra security for the speech amidst mounting tension. Enter, James Bond, whose task will be to track down any suspected threats to the diplomatic visit and neutralise if necessary…and a home-grown menace is dwelling outside of London, planning their coup de grace against the arrogance of America…

Kieron Gillen’s writing career has includes comics titles Phonogram, Young Avengers and The Wicked + The Divine. He has also worked on several Marvel titles including Thor, Iron Man, and the much acclaimed Star Wars: Doctor Aphra.

Antonio Fuso is an artist whose works include Torchwood for Titan Comics, Tales from Mega-city One as part of Judge Dredd Magazine and the Sinister Dexter series. Fuso has also worked extensively for Marvel Comics.

Cover artist: Jamie McKelvie, who has worked with Gillen on Phonogram, Young Avengers and The Wicked + The Divine.

To read more about the comic itself and for purchase links, click here.

]]>http://www.ianfleming.com/steel-dagger-longlist-2017/feed/0From Russia with Love Competition Debriefhttp://www.ianfleming.com/russia-love-competition-debrief/
http://www.ianfleming.com/russia-love-competition-debrief/#respondFri, 12 May 2017 11:07:36 +0000http://www.ianfleming.com/?p=7552In April 2017, we celebrated the 60th anniversary of the publication of Ian Fleming’s fifth James Bond novel, From Russia with Love. During its 60 years in …

]]>In April 2017, we celebrated the 60th anniversary of the publication of Ian Fleming’s fifth James Bond novel, From Russia with Love. During its 60 years in print across the world, the novel has been published with a great many stunning and unforgettable covers. To celebrate this aspect of the novel’s rich history, we held a competition for talented illustrators and designers to design an original cover for Fleming’s book, with the judges basing their decision on the following factors:

accuracy to Fleming’s novel From Russia with Love

imagination and aesthetically pleasing design

We received a large number of entries, and we’re delighted to showcase a selection below alongside the winners.

1st prize went to Dan Loumeau, with his eye-catching and highly professional design, incorporating a breathtaking sense of motion and artfully representing many familiar elements such as the Orient Express and Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. Refreshingly modern, yet satisfyingly evocative of Fleming’s thriller, we were happy to award this inventive entry the first prize of a Bentley Special Edition of Casino Royale, courtesy of Penguin Books. Instagram: @lumo_design_co

We appreciated the sinister atmosphere of Catherine Paiano’s entry, in which the novel’s sense of impending doom is well executed through the silhouettes and shadows. Which figure is Bond? Who is primed to assassinate whom? The hallway from the Orient Express adds to the menace and provides an intriguing focus to the cover – the eye is simultaneously drawn to the figures and down the corridor, where either escape or further danger awaits. Twitter & Instagram: @catherinepaiano

Mark Anderson’s design is an exercise in how effective a seemingly simple image can be. The bullet represents death, the lipstick represents love, and the combination effectively encapsulates not only the Russian honey-trap laid for Bond, but the very essence of Fleming’s writing. Luxury and sensual pleasure are never far from danger and brutality in a Bond thriller, and the design expertly draws this notion to the reader’s mind. Instagram: @mwilliamanderson

This design from Mark O’Connell is visually stimulating, immediately evoking the chess master and SMERSH schemer Kronsteen, from chapter 7 of the novel. More so than in some of the other novels, Bond is specifically targeted in From Russia with Love, making the chess analogue very suitable – he is playing a game against SMERSH in which the enemy is seemingly two moves ahead. Whilst he seeks to discover the Spektor code, SMERSH seek 007’s blood. The implicit danger is exemplified in the bleeding bullet holes, with the trails of blood subtly evoking the towers of Hagia Sophia. Twitter: @Mark0Connell

The collage below shows a selection of the amazing covers we received. We are very thankful to everyone who entered the competition and it will not be long before we hold another, so keep your eye on our social media channels for news.

]]>http://www.ianfleming.com/russia-love-competition-debrief/feed/0Agent in the Field: Author Steve Colehttp://www.ianfleming.com/agent-field-author-steve-cole/
http://www.ianfleming.com/agent-field-author-steve-cole/#respondThu, 04 May 2017 12:00:38 +0000http://www.ianfleming.com/?p=7554Steve Cole’s fourth and final Young Bond adventure, Red Nemesis is out now, and to celebrate we talk to him about his experience writing the series, …

]]>Steve Cole’s fourth and final Young Bond adventure, Red Nemesis is out now, and to celebrate we talk to him about his experience writing the series, and of course his explosive new novel.

Well we have to start with the fantastic title of Red Nemesis, how did you come up with it?

Steve: Lurking somewhere between inspiration and desperation is the titling department of my mind! For the synopsis it was named On Moscow’s Orders as a counterpoint to Charlie Higson’s final Young Bond, By Royal Command. Then for the first draft it was called Dance With Death, which ultimately felt a bit too generic. Fleming’s Bond titles have a wonderful, tantalising quality to them, you want to know what they’re about. I made a list of possible titles and Red Nemesis really seemed to sum it up, the idea of how importantly and dangerously the Soviet Union will figure in Bond’s life. It also syllabically matches book three, Strike Lightning, just as Heads You Die matches Shoot to Kill. So that appealed to the nerd in me.

Red Nemesis has a grimly dramatic Russian edge, was this a homage to From Russia with Love or were there other points of inspiration for this direction?

Steve: From Russia With Love is my second favourite Bond novel (after On Her Majesty’s Secret Service), and I was aware that 2017 marks the 60th anniversary of its publication, so I thought it would be fun to get Bond To Russia, himself. Also, of course, it’s the last book of my arc and I wanted an iconic and suitably dangerous location. You don’t have Moscow as a setting second or third in the cycle; it’s the big one and I always planned it as a location for the conclusion. Stalin’s Russia looms in the modern imagination as a truly horrifying place, so to throw young James into its jaws ups the stakes.

The book delves into some raw and sentimental aspects of Bond’s past, particularly by looking at his father Andrew Bond who died along with his mother Monique when James was only eleven years old. What prompted you to explore this sombre side to James’ childhood?

Steve: When you have a character as magnetic as James Bond I think you want to know what’s shaped him in life. The death of his parents obviously affected Bond deeply, and my first thought when plotting was to have someone exploit that incident to their own advantage. As Red Nemesis is the last of my Young Bonds I wanted to push James a little further towards the adult world of espionage and spy-play that lays before him. What better way to pull him into that world than the adult now missing from his life? This book provides Bond with the chance to deal with his father’s unfinished business. Anya, his ally in Moscow, finds herself in a similar position; so, the influences of fathers and fatherlands are key themes and add a bit of personal weight to the story.

Mimic is a wonderfully creepy villain and one of our favourites in all of the Young Bond books. What was your inspiration for this character?

Steve: I actually conceived a Mimic-like character when planning Heads You Die, though ultimately he didn’t quite fit into the villains’ set up, there wasn’t enough for him to do. I didn’t forget him though. He was nearly a bodyguard in Strike Lightning too! It just seemed very creepy to have someone who could impersonate anyone, particularly when communication was so much more primitive – that voice on the crackling telephone line or the wireless broadcast, is it really who you think it is? That person crying for help, are you sure it’s them? So for my final book, I made his talents – both verbal and physical – more integral.

Reading the book it feels like you had great fun coming up with the clues for James to follow, how did you think of them and was it as enjoyable as it comes across?

Steve: It can be tricky, when setting a cryptic puzzle for your hero, to know just how devious to be! It’s not really any fun unless you can allow your reader enough clues to try to work it out themselves. You don’t want to make things too easy but the puzzle can’t be too contrived either. The challenge was to make the clues personal to James, so that in the end he is the only one who can really work things out. But no one wants the hero to solve things too early, so I tried to set things up so that even when James has figured out one cryptic clue, it leads to another mystery.

With four Young Bond books under your belt, how does it feel now the series has finished?

Steve: The time seems to have zipped past in a patter of nervous heartbeats. I’ve so enjoyed my time with Bond: I’ve worked with so many lovely people, heard from so many nice Bond fans and visited so many cool places over the course of these four novels. It’s been a challenge like no other, I’ve cared passionately about it, I’ve given it my best and I shall miss it. But it’s part of a writer’s brief to reinvent their job as the years push onward.

Who has been your favourite Young Bond character to write about?

Steve: Discounting Bond himself, I suppose I enjoyed writing about James’s dwarf friend, Hugo, in Shoot to Kill and particularly Heads You Die. He brought a different perspective to the storytelling and brought out a different side of James, I enjoyed teaming them up. Of my Bond girls, Kitty Drift from Strike Lightning was a favourite; wonderfully straightforward, she wore her heart a little self-consciously on her sleeve. She was resourceful and witty and passionate about what she did.

Which of your Young Bond adventures did you enjoy writing the most?

Steve: I can’t really single one out as I enjoyed each in different ways. But I really had fun going full throttle with Red Nemesis, where the stakes are perhaps their highest and James is given frightening glimpses of both his father’s past and his own future. Being able to write scenes that touch at the heart of a character like Bond is a great privilege.

What other projects are you pursuing and what would you like to achieve next?

Steve: I think like most writers, parts of my head are always pursuing other projects without permission! I’ll see what they come up with. I am currently thinking of some standalone projects but love series fiction too; you’re not just writing a book, you’re making a continuing world that readers can revisit, time and again. I always used to be known as the Astrosaurs guy, and I guess now I’m known as the New Young Bond guy, so I’m happy to wait and see what the next book label will be.

Red Nemesis is out now, and available to purchase by clicking through here. Audiobook edition coming soon.

]]>http://www.ianfleming.com/agent-field-author-steve-cole/feed/0The Origin of James Bondhttp://www.ianfleming.com/origin-james-bond/
http://www.ianfleming.com/origin-james-bond/#respondTue, 25 Apr 2017 09:24:04 +0000http://www.ianfleming.com/?p=7526This autumn will see the launch of a comic book series tracking James Bond’s service during the Second World War. Our publishing partners Dynamite Entertainment and Creative Consultant …

]]>This autumn will see the launch of a comic book series tracking James Bond’s service during the Second World War. Our publishing partners Dynamite Entertainment and Creative Consultant Mike Lake (co-founder of Forbidden Planet) are in the process of working with some top creative talent to chart James Bond’s journey from school boy to secret agent. These comics will put James Bond in the heart of the action as he fights for King and Country and the fate of the world at large.

In You Only Live Twice, Ian Fleming tantalised readers with clues into James Bond’s past and his years during the War were outlined as follows;

‘By now it was 1941 and, by claiming an age of nineteen and with the help of an old Vickers colleague of his father, he entered a branch of what was subsequently to become the Ministry of Defence. To serve the confidential nature of his duties, he was accorded the rank of lieutenant in the Special Branch of the RNVR, and it is a measure of the satisfaction his services gave to his superiors that he ended the war with the rank of Commander.’

Dynamite began a new series of James Bond comics with Vargr by Warren Ellis, and have continued with some top name creative talent including Kieron Gillen (Service), Benjamin Percy (Black Box)and Andy Diggle (Hammerhead, Kill Chain). These adventures through the Second World War will be a new direction running alongside the present-day storylines, delving deeper into the past of Fleming’s Bond in his original period. To find out more about all of our comics and graphic novels, click here or head to Dynamite.com.

We can’t wait to follow Bond through the dark and dangerous world of the 1940s when the stakes were high and where heroes were born. Look out for more news on this exciting project throughout the summer.

The picture above is featured courtesy of Fionn Morgan and may be licensed upon request through Ian Fleming Images.

]]>http://www.ianfleming.com/origin-james-bond/feed/0From Russia with Love 60th Anniversary Competitionhttp://www.ianfleming.com/russia-love-60th-anniversary-competition/
http://www.ianfleming.com/russia-love-60th-anniversary-competition/#respondFri, 07 Apr 2017 10:19:17 +0000http://www.ianfleming.com/?p=7485UPDATE: This competition is now closed. This April marks the 60th anniversary of the first publication of Ian Fleming’s From Russia with Love and to …

This April marks the 60th anniversary of the first publication of Ian Fleming’s From Russia with Love and to celebrate, we’re hosting a book cover competition! Get creative by painting, drawing, collaging or digitally designing your own book cover for this classic James Bond novel. Upload your creation to social media (details below) before 18th April to be in with a chance of winning some fantastic prizes. The competition is open worldwide!

Post your creation on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and don’t forget to tag us so we see your entry. Twitter: @TheIanFleming; Facebook: @ianflemingbooks; Instagram: @IanFlemings007. We will consider entries to any of these platforms, so please do upload it to as many as you like!

Entries will be judged on:

accuracy to Fleming’s novel From Russia with Love

imagination and aesthetically pleasing design

Ian Fleming’s fifth James Bond adventure sees 007 in the hands of the menacing Soviet organisation SMERSH. Trapped in a deadly game of cross and double cross, Bond must resist the charms of the beautiful Tatiana Romanova and keep his cool against two of SMERSH’s most dangerous assassins in order to save his own life and protect the reputation of the entire British Empire. Amongst President Kennedy’s favourite books of all time, From Russia with Love was heralded as ‘One of the most outrageously entertaining thrillers ever contrived’ when it was first published. To find out more about this classic James Bond novel, click here.

The closing date for entries is Tuesday 18th April 2017. Please review the terms and conditions carefully before entering the competition and good luck!

]]>http://www.ianfleming.com/russia-love-60th-anniversary-competition/feed/0The 27th Letter Competitionhttp://www.ianfleming.com/27th-letter-competition/
http://www.ianfleming.com/27th-letter-competition/#respondFri, 10 Mar 2017 17:12:58 +0000http://www.ianfleming.com/?p=7429Throughout his life Ian Fleming was fascinated by the appearance of things, whether it was the cut of a suit or a type face. In …

]]>Throughout his life Ian Fleming was fascinated by the appearance of things, whether it was the cut of a suit or a type face. In 1947, while helping his friend Robert Harling at the typograph­ical magazine Alphabet & Image, he conceived the idea of a competition for the best interpretation of a twenty-seventh letter of the alphabet. Entries had to have a distinct purpose and would be judged by him alone. The winner was to receive a book token to the value of five guineas, which at the time was a decent sum. Though a multitude of entries was received, the world paid little attention and the alphabet remained stubbornly at twenty-six. Seventy years later the Book Collector, in the person of Ian’s nephews James and Fergus Fleming, has decided to resurrect the competition. Sanskrit has forty-six different letters. Is now the moment for English to have twenty-seven? Is immortality lying in wait for some clever designer?

Unfortunately Fleming was unable to judge his competition – he was pursuing his future wife in Jamaica at the time. The judges this time round are Phil Cleaver, designer of the Book Collec­tor and Professor in the Creative Industries at Middlesex University, James Fergusson, Editor of the Book Collector, Fergus Fleming, writer and co-publisher at Queen Anne Press, and Lilian Lindblom-Smith, Head of Graphic Design at Middlesex University. They will present a short-list to the artist Sir Peter Blake, who will make the final decision.

The original competition, judged in Fleming’s ab­sence by Robert Harling himself, was won jointly by Messrs Cecil Keeling of Pinner, Middlesex and John Tarr of the Monotype Corporation. Their submissions included letters for ‘-sion’, ‘th’ and ‘st’. The runner-up was an artist, Mr L.R. Clynick, with a ‘sh’.

Peter Fleming, Ian’s elder brother, was writing a column under the name ‘Strix’ in The Spectator at this time. His choice was ‘er’, as in ‘I have no – er – hesitation in saying…’ He saw it as a long, thin, horizontal letter, ‘drooping slightly at the end; and I’m not sure that I wouldn’t give it an umlaut to make it more decorative.’ His problem was where to fit it into the alphabet. Z was obviously proud of its position and ‘it would sound silly if you used the new letter in stock phrases like “He knows his job from A to ER.” When I was learning the alphabet I remember finding the H I J K L stretch particularly tricky going, negotiable only with the help of ER; and if nobody minds I think it had better go in be­tween K and L, for sentimental reasons.’

That was in 1947. Given how the use of the vernac­ular has exploded since, abetted by the fast-moving world of social media, the field has to be wide open to innovation. Who’s to say that the new letter won’t become part of the English alphabet?

The competition will follow Fleming’s rules: the letter must conform to the alphabet as known in English-writing countries and must represent a particular sound or combination of sounds. Entry is free. No professional qualification is needed in order to enter. All that is necessary is that the entrant must be over sixteen years of age and have an idea as to how written English could be improved.

The winner will receive £250 and a trophy designed by Professor Cleaver. The book collector is donating £500 to the literacy charity Give A Book.

The competition opens on 15 March 2017 and closes on 25 April. The winner will be announced at the London International Antiquarian Book Fair at Olympia on 2 June.

For full conditions of entry, and link to the entry form itself, please click here. The best of luck to you!